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    Yafa Bakery & Cafe

    4.9 (202 reviews)
    Open 9:00 am - 7:00 pm

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    If I could rate Yafa more than 5 stars, I would! I dropped in on my way to a friend's house. The girl behind the counter was SO kind and welcoming. She helped to walk me through the items, answered my many questions, and I ended up putting together a delicious spread, all of things I'd never tried. I also loved the mint tea. So refreshing! I will absolutely be back, even though I live 30 minutes away. It was that good! I plan on bringing guests here as well. Thanks for your hospitality, Yafa!

    Sarish B.

    Service: Oh my gosh, I've been dying to try Yafa Bakery and Cafe in Somerville for months! As a South Asian girl who loves Middle Eastern food, I felt like I was in my own world here. It's so hard to find authentic and traditional Muslim desserts that are pistachio and rose flavored in Boston. The owner is super warm and welcoming, like he's your own family member. He'll give you samples of little treats and pick out some drinks for you. Ambiance: Yada Bakery and Cafe is decorated with so many beautiful cultural and artistic pieces that make you feel like you're in a beautiful Palestinian bakery. The books on display and the plants and art work are really eye-catching and make you think. I was totally mesmerized by every corner of this amazing place. I'll definitely be back! Food: I tried the Yafa chai, the cheese and spinach fatayer, manaqeesh, hummus, and a bunch of other yummy sweets. I have nothing but great things to say about this cafe. The fatayer and maanaqeesh paired perfectly with the hummus. The rose and pistachio dessert was rich and decadent, and it left my sweet tooth happy. The Yafa coffee was so delicious and I couldn't put my cup down. I'm so glad I found this bakery. I can't wait to come back often and for Ramadan and Eid treats. Thanks so much for being so hospitable! I hope your business continues to flourish. I can't wait to come back again soon. Please save me a seat and let me know if you ever need a taste tester. :)

    Corner seat
    Vincent C.

    Just one step in and you'll feel the warmth and hospitality from all directions. It's really a place you need to visit yourself and I know you won't regret it. Food: The smell of the fresh teas and pastries makes your mouth water. Then the samples the staff happily shares makes it harder not to try a few things yourself. The chai was my drink of choice and it was probably the best you'll have in the great Boston area. Service: The staff was so excited for each customer and was so happy to be sharing the food they crafted. You are offered so many things to try that it actually makes it harder to settle on just one or two things to actually buy. Atmosphere: The decor was welcoming and calming and I'm sure I could easily sit for hours reading or doing work.

    Stephanie B.

    I've been meaning to visit this place for a long time and finally made it. The shop is small but cozy, there's a line because they take their time with each customer. They offer you tastes of the pastries and chai. Staff is very friendly and attentive. Everything is beautiful and it's hard to decide. Tons of sweet options and some savory ones as well. You can tell everything is made with care. We really enjoyed our visit and the treats. A beautiful addition to Somerville.

    Lemonada drink (& Del)
    Del W.

    The most beautiful assortment of Palestinian desserts, savory bakery items, and a great selection of drinks -- both hot & iced! My sister and I walked in and were immediately greeted and handed samples of baklava, harissa, and a hot cup of chai (?) Please make it a point to stop by if you are ever visiting or are in the area. This place is beautiful and will not disappoint!! Staff are friendly and made us feel welcome & cared for :) plenty of seating indoors as well

    Delicious food especially zaatar cheese pastry and hummus. Loved their chai blend. Our server was very nice and friendly.

    Mana'eesh
    Sawsan W.

    The minute I walked in, I got a whiff of the maamoul baking! as much as I would have liked to try everything, it would have been too much y food. I tried the zaatar mana'eesh (and I appreciate that they warmed it up) and got a side of hummus and it was divine. The ambiance was cute and the waitress was helpful and offered us a sample of the tea and one of the baked items.

    Smitha M.

    What a beautiful cafe with such endearing people. We had the joy to meet Abdula, he is sincere and welcoming. We were welcomed in and provided samples and taught the story and details behind the delicious treats. I ordered the chai and wow, just so delicious! I also ordered a couple of sweets to go to take back home, the sweets survived the plane ride well! Glad I got share vegan Palestinian sweets with my husband and tell him about this cafe. I hope to be back again soon.

    Jose T.

    In a few words I can say that it was a totally delightful experience! We ended up visiting Yafa on my birthday after watching a video about the most interesting Arab places to eat in the Boston area in which this bakery was featured at and it definitely deserves to be on the list of best places to eat in the Boston. In addition to the delicious coffee and chai tea that we enjoyed very much, we ordered several pastries from the great selection that they have available. We ordered two types of kunafah (traditional Middle Eastern pastry made with filo dough or semolina flour, cheese, and sugar syrup with or without rose water), one made with a layer of pistachios and the other made with cream instead of cheese inside and covered with rose petals (from this last one we don't have pictures because it was gone before we even realized that no pics were taken). We also ordered other pastries such as baklavas, pistachios cookies, and others that were absolutely delicious (pics included). We also enjoyed a kind of empanada filled with potato (I think it is called potato snail because it has the shape of a snail) as well as a semolina bread to go, both absolutely delicious!! The attention was absolutely amazing and the place is very clean and cozy (although pretty small, so, you may need to wait for a table if you want to eat in). We were fortunate to find a table and also to had the opportunity of engaging in a great conversation with the person sitting on the neighbor one, so we spent about an hour chatting and eating delicious sweets ...It was a very special birthday treat!!

    Salam A.

    as a girl from yafa, this place for real warmed my heart so much! the owner is so nice!! i loved the decor and the baklava was sooo good! the chai karak/adeni was so good as well (perfect for the chilly weather). with the seating area was a little bigger but you could totally get this to go!

    The chai mix, Zaatar, Yafa merch, impressive quality
    Sadaf A.

    What a delight! The beautifully decorated, bright and colorful ambiance with gracious hosts. It felt like we were visiting a family rather than making a quick coffee stop. Being a chai fanatic I was impressed with their house recipe. Bought the chi mix so I can bring the delicious taste home with me to California. We purchased their green mint lemonade drink to go and more pastries. Everything we tried was remarkably made, no sugar overload at all. Service was super professional with warmth and a genuine smile. I wish these guys opened in California!

    Madow N.

    Been meaning to try Yafa for a while. It's a cute little cafe with bright and airy decor. Tried a few different desserts. They were all lovely. The manakheesh looked good but didn't get a chance to try it. Will have to come back for it. Service was fast and friendly.

    Jerusalem bagel

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    Phenomenal food and hospitality the coffee was good too ! So glad to have finally stopped in.

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    Martsa On Elm

    Martsa On Elm

    4.0
    (427 reviews)
    1.0 mi
    $$

    I love this place. I go there any time I am in the area. The momos are grest and I love the curry…read moredishes. It is an exquisite taste that I thoroughly enjoy.

    I think there is a lot left to be desired here. I had a party of 7 with a reservation, but they…read morecould not seat us until 15 minutes after our reservation time. This is due partly to another party ahead of us not leaving promptly, but I think the restaurant could have been ready ahead of us as well. I will admit that I enjoyed the ambiance - it had nice low lighting with contemporary decor which made a nice dinner spot. The service in terms of both the waiters and kitchen did not feel timely either. It took a while for drinks to arrive and there were barely any water refills in general. We ordered four different dishes on our side of the table and they were somewhat bland. The vegetable momos definitely need some kind of sauce since they were lacking in flavor. We also got a curry chicken thigh, beef noodles, and butter tofu. I think only the beef noodles had a good enough flavor profile and kick to them. I was also surprised that the portion sizes weren't close to what you would expect for the price. I think with so many good south Asian spots in the area, it's hard to recommend Martsa. I might consider coming back if I learn that there is a particular dish that I am missing out on.

    Photos
    Interior
    Interior
    2 pieces Chola Bhatura ($6.50 per piece) - chickpea curry with tamarind mint sauce, wrapped in fried bread
    2 pieces Chola Bhatura ($6.50 per piece) - chickpea curry with tamarind mint sauce, wrapped in fried bread
    Aloo Parantha ($6.50) - pan fried potato stuffed flatbread

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    Aloo Parantha ($6.50) - pan fried potato stuffed flatbread
    Zomsa

    Zomsa

    4.7
    (58 reviews)
    3.0 mi
    Fine dining
    Outdoor seating

    Didn't have a ton to eat here, but everything I had was delicious. Service was attentive, warm, and…read morefriendly, which added to the great experience. The restaurant was comfy; there was an electric fireplace on the wall which made the room feel homey. We got fried pork momos, which were delicious and juicy. I was interested in trying the C-style, but we had a non-spice eater at the table. I got the pork chili from the appetizer menu and garlic naan for my meal, and my companions got the chow mein and sekuwa. The chow mein looked standard and sekewa was grilled chicken served with puffed rice (looked like rice krispies). Everyone was happy with their meals, but I especially loved mine. There were slices of pork belly in a flavorful sauce with tomatoes, onions, and bell peppers. Note that the pork belly still has the skin on it (which I personally love). My only complaint was at medium, the food seemed mild, but I'll be clearer of my spice preferences next time. I would definitely come back specifically for the pork chili!

    Decent South Asian and Nepalese place with surprisingly a karaoke night!…read more The bara is a fried pancake of sorts, crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. The dipping sauce was good as well, possibly a mint-like flavor. The pork momos were really good too, with nice crimping on the skin and decent fillings inside. The chicken vindaloo was decent, though I might have liked more specificity to the flavoring of the vindaloo. The potatoes were nicely textured. The chicken bites were a bit large, they could have been chopped up a bit. The gorkhali khasi (a goat curry) was fairly decent with tender nice pieces. The flavoring was oversalted and again could have used a tad more definition. The bone-in aspect was appreciated as it held the flavor of the meat. The bhindi masala (okra) was fairly successful with a solid infusion of flavor into the okra. The dish was overall too oily though and some steps need to be taken to minimize the oil. All in all quite enjoyable!

    Photos
    Chatpate:
A zesty and tangy Nepalese street food favorite, made with puffed rice.
    Chatpate: A zesty and tangy Nepalese street food favorite, made with puffed rice.
    MO:MO (Jhol)
Homemade Nepalese dumplings served with cold soupy sauce with choice of proteins
    MO:MO (Jhol) Homemade Nepalese dumplings served with cold soupy sauce with choice of proteins
    Aloo Bodi Taama:
Spiced potato, black-eyed peas, and bamboo shoots in a tangy Nepali-style curry.

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    Aloo Bodi Taama: Spiced potato, black-eyed peas, and bamboo shoots in a tangy Nepali-style curry.

    Yafa Bakery & Cafe - bakeries - Updated June 2026

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